Another Trip to Wildlife Rehab

We made another trip to a wildlife rehab center in Grand Rapids this week.  What did we take this time, you ask?  The little neighbor boy across the street showed us a baby squirrel at the base of a tree that had evidently fallen out of it's nest.  He (the kids determined it was a boy) was still alive, but we knew he wouldn't be for long if he stayed there since his little body was already getting cold.  Nicolas asked if he could take the squirrel in and try to save it.  Not wanting to appear heartless I agreed, but warned him that the little guy would probably die.   We needed to leave for a track meet so just quickly put him in a box with a old towel.  When we arrived home from the track meet, the little squirrel was still very, very cold (but alive!) so we went on the internet and found some information on how to care for a baby squirrel.  We put him on a heating pad with a bottle of warm water which kept him nice and toasty.  Then we made our own Pedialyte solution and gave a him few drops through a 1cc syringe.  After getting up for the little guy twice during the night to turn the heating pad back on (automatic shut off) and to hydrate him, I vowed that if he survived the night I would take him to the wildlife rehab facility.  I went on the internet the next morning to see if there was a closer one than the one to which we took the paralyzed rabbit (20 miles away) and did find another one only three miles from our home.  I called a little before eight the next morning (did I mention I slept terribly and when I did sleep I dreamed of the baby squirrel?) and the rehab lady told to me to come right over.  She commented on how little he was as she picked him up and held him close to her chest.  He was just squeaking away.  She told Seth who went with me that she was going to put him on the heating pad and then since she was already heating up some formula for the other little ones she would try to feed him right away.    I am not sure the little guy will make it, but at least we gave him a fighting chance by taking him to the rehab center.  Nicolas is sure he wants to volunteer at this facility and I could totally picture him interacting with those animals.   I sometimes have to sit back and think, "did I really just take a baby squirrel to a wildlife rehab facility?"  But he was pretty cute and helpless...

I actually forgot to take a picture of him, but found these on the internet that look pretty much like the one we found.